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"I have never welcomed the weakening of family ties by politics or pressure" - Nelson Mandela."He who travels for love finds a thousand miles no longer than one" - Japanese proverb."Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence." - Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights."When people's love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change". - David Cameron.

Thursday, 31 October 2013

Scotland’s future approach to migration

As next year’s referendum approaches and
tensions between the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ camps increase, the need for greater
details on an independent Scotland’s
policies is apparent.

One of the most hotly debated issues surrounding
independence is immigration. Holyrood has for some time now been at odds with Westminster regards the
latter’s seemingly relentless push to reduce net migration at whatever cost.

Caught up in this push are many
cross-border families who are unable to meet the UK government’s stringent new
family migration policies, which require the British sponsor to have an income
of at least GBP 18,600 per annum to be able to bring a non-EEA spouse, child or
adult dependant to the UK.

Such families will be among those keen to
read further details of an independent Scottish government’s immigration
policies, which are scheduled to be published in a November white paper on migration.

Early indications show homegrown Scottish immigration
policies are likely to be more favourable to family migrants than Westminster’s current
rules. Unlike Westminster,
the Scottish National Party favours immigration.

Add to this Scotland has a low birthrate
and a small population of just over five million, and it is easy to see why
Scotland’s demographics have placed it at odds with Westminster’s goal to
reduce net migration.

The rejection of the anti-immigrant
message coming out of Westminster by the Scots, as seen in the unwelcoming
reception UKIP leader Nigel Farage received when he traveled to Edinburgh
earlier this year, can be seen as demonstrative of their acknowledgement of the
need for migrants in Scotland.

Encouraging are the recent words of spokesman for Minister for
External Affairs and International Development Humza Yousaf in a letter to the
Clark family after Turkish national Jilda Clark
was refused entry to the UK on the grounds she failed to
provide sufficient evidence she could meet the spouse visa language
requirements – a decision which was later overturned.

The
letter stated Yousaf shared, “… anxieties over the UK's current family migration
rules". Senior Policy Adviser to the Scottish government Ruth Steele also
wrote to the family, stating, "The Scottish government is very concerned
that the UK government's restrictions on family migration are having a very
damaging impact on many ordinary, hard-working UK citizens and their families”, as reported by the Herald Scotland.

Should we see an independent Scotland, it is hoped it will be defined by fair
immigration policies which best suit Scotland’s
unique needs and that those policies will be less shortsighted and more
evidential-based than the current rules, which are tailored almost exclusively
to meet the immigration goals of Westminster
rather than Scotland.